mrsmcd7 Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 We've had max for about 4 years. He used to always sleep in his crate (tried him in our room but he shakes the end of the bed and his ears so often we couldn't sleep) then he pulled a muscle do we left him out of his crate because he wouldn't use the stairs anyway (bedroom is upstairs). Now he uses the stairs again and barks several times a night (I've blocked him from stairs at night) and he does go out and potty when I come down and let him out, but I suspect he just likes the attention. Should I crate him again at night and ignore the barking for a few nights in the hopes he'll stop if he doesn't get attention? No one is sleeping and my husband is getting really irritated at the dog....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest carriej Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 Chance is/was a barker. Haven't heard him bark in months, but when we first got him he howled all night long. It probably took 4 days of absolutely ignoring him at night until he stopped. Sometimes, around 730 AM he will still trot down into the bedroom and whine. However I think this is more 'I WANT BREAKFAST' than any other kind of issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsmcd7 Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 Thanks, that's reassuring. I can hear him wandering around downstairs at night too, I feel maybe he's more secure in his crate at night once he's used to it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest carriej Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 We crated Chance for a few weeks at night until he was comfy, then we baby gated him in the living room for probably a month or two. Then slowly let him have full range of the house minus the bathroom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greyt_dog_lover Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 did you adopt through GO? if so call them for help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I'd have him in the bedroom. If he's shaking his head so often or so vigorously you can't sleep, you need to have his ears looked at! If it's his tags jingling, get a tag bag, or let him sleep nude. Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AimeeBee Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 (edited) I'd have him in the bedroom. If he's shaking his head so often or so vigorously you can't sleep, you need to have his ears looked at! If it's his tags jingling, get a tag bag, or let him sleep nude. This, 100%. If he's shaking your bed because he's up there with you, can you set up a bed for him so that he's close enough to see you but not interrupting your sleep? Edited October 8, 2014 by AimeeBee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocsDoctor Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 That he's so restless suggests to me that he's uncomfortable. That could indicate a problem with his ears as others are suggesting, or might he be feeling cold after the heating goes off? Doc will get up and shake himself to warm himself if it gets chilly. Feel Max's ears - if they are cold, so is he. If so PJs or a housecoat would help. Re the barking: could he be hearing something outside that sets him off - e.g. foxes? Or feeling it's time for company/ a diversion? It is certainly possible to set up this kind of pattern inadvertently - I know that in the past when I have had to get up in the night to let Doc out, because he has eaten something that disagrees with him or whatever and really does need to go out, then sometimes on the subsequent night or so he will wake up at the same time and 'try it on', as it were. But there is a difference between an urgent bark and a trying-it-on one, which I will ignore. He would probably settle more easily upstairs with you, but if that's not feasible, don't feel too guilty. Doc used to sleep upstairs but then the vet vetoed him doing stairs, because he was becoming too arthritic. I was worried he wouldn't settle but she told me 'give him a really comfortable bed downstairs, and a nice goodnight treat, block off the stairs if you have to, and then just go up. I guarantee you that within a week he will be quite happily settled down there.' She was quite right! Quote Clare with Tiger (Snapper Gar, b. 18/05/2015), and remembering Ken (Boomtown Ken, 01/05/2011-21/02/2020) and Doc (Barefoot Doctor, 20/08/2001-15/04/2015)."It is also to be noted of every species, that the handsomest of each move best ... and beasts of the most elegant form, always excel in speed; of this, the horse and greyhound are beautiful examples."----Wiliam Hogarth, The Analysis of Beauty, 1753. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chickenpotpie Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Lucky sleeps in our room and when she gets cold, she will indeed shake herself. Its my cue to get up and cover her up. In the winter she wears jammies to bed so I don't have to deal with that too often. You MAY want to consider jammies. Lucky dosen't sleep on our bed because I already have to deal with a snoring man, there's no way I'm sharing with a dog too! She's got her own bed which she's very happy with. I also agree with Docs Doctor. see if it will work setting up a bed elsewhere and get your pup in routine of using it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest OPointyDog Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Mika started doing this after we had him for about 6 months. He must sleep in a crate because he is crazy destructive, and he cannot sleep in our bedroom because the cats are upstairs and the dogs are downstairs in our house. He sleeps downstairs in his crate, and our other grey sleeps nearby. He started barking and howling all night (sometimes for HOURS) last summer. I was at my wits end and exhausted from not getting enough sleep. I worked with our vet and a professional trainer to figure out if there was anything medical going on. Nothing found. The trainer was fairly sure it was attention-seeking behavior rather than separation anxiety. Her main suggestion was making sure he was exhausted when he went to bed, so we have lots of activities now for him every evening before bed to keep him busy. We go for lots of walks, we give him kongs and treats, we play with toys, etc. All in the 3-4 hours right before bed. We do the same activities every night, always in the same order so he knows what to expect. That helped but he still barked sometimes. Finally our vet recommended a spray collar that sprays the dog when it barks. I was dubious, but we were shocked when it worked after spraying him exactly once. He didn't bark again at night for another 18 months, until just last Monday night when I came home in the middle of the night from a long trip abroad. More barking. I showed him the bark collar and put it on him the next night, and he hasn't barked since. The great thing about the collar is that it's just compressed air - it makes a small "pppsssscht" noise and sprays them. No harm done. And he recognizes it and doesn't bark when he's wearing it, but otherwise his behavior is normal. I know this suggestion will probably not be popular, but it worked for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsmcd7 Posted October 15, 2014 Author Share Posted October 15, 2014 Interesting! I did "bark it out" method, like I did with my kids. It took 2 nights and now he's fine. He even starts ib there after we open it in the morning. He's always been especially lazy in the morning. Doc's doctor: yes, it was definitely him "trying it on", I believe. I think I will get him jammies anyway, just to be sure he's not cold. Where did you get yours? Thanks! Aimeebee. We tried seeing up 5 different needs in our room. He's an attention seeker, lol. He shakes the bed because he wants to play at am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocsDoctor Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 I'm glad the situation has improved! Doc has a housecoat which I made myself from a fleece throw, using the 'Snuggler' pattern at the bottom of this link:http://www.greyhoundsinneed.co.uk/howyoucanhelp/howyoucanhelpFrame.htm?http&&&www.greyhoundsinneed.co.uk/howyoucanhelp/coat2.htm If you want PJs I expect US Gters can recommend a seller and there is a recent thread about making your own, showing some very stylish hounds: http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/309877-its-jammie-time-again/ Quote Clare with Tiger (Snapper Gar, b. 18/05/2015), and remembering Ken (Boomtown Ken, 01/05/2011-21/02/2020) and Doc (Barefoot Doctor, 20/08/2001-15/04/2015)."It is also to be noted of every species, that the handsomest of each move best ... and beasts of the most elegant form, always excel in speed; of this, the horse and greyhound are beautiful examples."----Wiliam Hogarth, The Analysis of Beauty, 1753. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsmcd7 Posted October 17, 2014 Author Share Posted October 17, 2014 Opointydog. Max is back to the incessant night barking. I'm desperate. My husband is getting extremely frustrated at the lack of sleep. What is the brand name of that spray collar? I've had 3 hours of sleep the last 2 nights, not good, add I'm a nurse and exhausted at work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsmcd7 Posted October 20, 2014 Author Share Posted October 20, 2014 I tried to let him have the runof the house, he'd barked off and on all night. So the following night I used the spray collar. Barked exactly one bark and 2 whines. I feel awful using it, but we are all sleep deprived. I'm a nurse, I can't be walking around like a zombie! Looking for reassurance...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsmcd7 Posted November 16, 2014 Author Share Posted November 16, 2014 So he hasn't had to wear the collar since. It worked great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Scouts_mom Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 Wonderful news! When you've ruled out all possible causes of the barking besides just seeking attention, I think using the bark-collar is definitely the right step. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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